


Never Without You

by cschoolgirl



Category: Logan (Wolverine Movieverse), X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: AU, F/M, Light Smut, shipper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 13:30:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10022669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cschoolgirl/pseuds/cschoolgirl
Summary: Rogue's absence was keenly felt. (May contain spoilers for a movie not yet released.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is the result of watching too many Logan movie snippets. There is a lot of conjecture for a movie that has yet to be released, tossed with a little bit of comic knowledge and a healthy dose of Wolverine/Rogue shipping. A huge thank you to my two enablers betas RogueLotus and Nebelwerfer24(and the title).

Two days they'd been waiting in the hotel for his source to come through. They needed Xavier's meds before they could move forward with any kind of a plan. 

Logan looked over at the bed. Xavier was dozing lightly, first peaceful rest he'd had in days. Laura sat beside him on the bed, content to flip through channels on the TV. She put another handful of popcorn in her mouth. He'd be cleaning up that mess before putting Xavier to bed tonight. 

His life had been going in slow motion ever since Xavier's first seizure, or at least it had until Laura showed up. Then everything had kicked into high gear and he'd felt almost alive again for the first time in nearly a year. Even Xavier was looking better, more energetic. 

This lull gave them a false sense of security. He knew, as sure as the metal in his bones was slowly killing him; that a storm was coming. The enemy would be after them again as soon as they regrouped and finished licking their wounds. 

Frankly, the whole game of waiting finally made him feel his age. Moving, keeping a low profile had been a way of life for so long. The only difference was this time it was wearing him down. 

Rogue's absence was keenly felt. She'd been the one to find the brightside of everything. Without her the days and months became dreary, marching on endlessly. Not quite a year had gone by since life had changed, but it felt like an eternity without her by his side. 

A knock at the door brought him out of his contemplation. He really did miss his heightened senses. They were still better than most people's, but the loss of the ability to hear someone get off the elevator on the opposite side of the building did nothing to bolster his confidence in surviving all of this. At least his sense of smell was good enough to know the person on the other side of the door wasn't one of those hunting them. In fact...

Rogue put on the sweet Southern smile her mama had taught her as the door swung open. The smile hid a multitude of sins, including the overwhelming thoughts of punching Logan in the chops. 

"Won't you invite me in, Mr. Howlett?" She let it roll off her tongue in that drawl he always professed to love. 

Logan stared at her for a moment, at a loss for words. Finally, he stepped aside and watched her float into the room like a breath of fresh air. She looked better than he remembered, but that wasn't true; she always looked amazing no matter what. As she passed she handed him an upscale shopping bag that wouldn't be out of place in this hotel. Her outfit fit in as well, from the hat to the stilettos any fashionista would be proud to wear. She'd learned her lessons about blending in.

"Three months supply," she added dropping a weekend bag on a chair as he shut the door. 

Glancing over her shoulder, she caught the emotions on his face. He appeared as though he'd been in the desert dying of thirst when he'd finally sighted a spring of cool water. He'd missed her and it gave her that queer feeling in her stomach Logan always inspired. 

She pulled the long pins from her hat and laid them and the hat on the table by the chair. Following the sound of the TV, she crossed the suite's little living room to one of the two bedrooms. Logan numbly trailed behind her. 

Stepping into the room she put on a bright smile. "Well look who we have here."

The Professor extended a hand to her; the warm greeting he gave all his students issued forth, "Rogue." 

A girl sat next to him, wide-eyed. Rogue followed her gaze to a comic on the pillow nearby. She winked at the girl. "Yes, that Rogue." 

Rogue sat down on the edge of the bed and carefully hugged Xavier, placing a kiss on his cheek. "I missed you."

"Why? It was only this afternoon I saw you in Science class." The Professor seemed puzzled. 

Rogue blinked back a tear; it was obvious why they needed the meds. She hadn't been in one of his classes since she graduated high school years ago. She peered over at Logan as he set the shopping bag down by the TV. He gave her a grim smile, confirming the worst. 

Taking a breath she turned back to Xavier. "It just seemed like a long time ago." 

Xavier patted her hand. "Maybe we can have tea and talk all about it later." He then turned his attention to the girl beside him. "Have you met our new student Laura?"

"It's so nice to meet you, Miss Laura." Rogue carefully took Laura's hand and placed it in her own for a handshake. All the rumors Rogue had heard on the underground networks were true, or close enough to the truth. An aged superhero, a senile old man, and an escaped lab experiment were on the run from those set on destroying what was left of mutants. 

Standing up Rogue smoothed her skirt. "If you two don't mind, I need to have a word in private with Logan."

"Do come back, we're going for a drive later," the Professor implored her. 

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Rogue replied turning toward the door.

Logan led her back through the living space to the second bedroom. "The girl has excellent hearing," he told her as he closed the door behind them. 

The smile she had plastered on her face told him he was in for it. He couldn't blame her; he'd made their trail hard to follow on purpose. She stood in front of him close enough to touch. In the past, he wouldn't have held back. Had a year really changed him that much? 

There was a slight tremor in his hands, that rumor was also true. Rogue frowned; the incident at the school had taken a toll on all the mutants that managed to survive. Apparently being at ground zero and one of the only two survivors had dealt Logan an enormous blow physically. Mentally he'd reverted to the disconnected, distant man she'd first met years ago. Well too bad, they'd shared too much history for her to just let him slip away again. 

"Logan, always so stoic, so resolute." Slowly she reached out toward him with her hand, suddenly a sharp slap, echoed around the room. She wanted to meet him with a kiss, but he didn't deserve one yet. The slap was well earned, it had been a long and discouraging year chasing after him, she had to vent some of that frustration on him.

Rogue placed her hand back on his bearded cheek, she scrapped her nails along his jawline, her eyes searching his. He'd tried to bury it, his love for her, but it was still there along with guilt. 

Logan felt the red bloom across his cheek. She'd put her all into it; he hadn't even seen it coming. Though he doubted his reflexes to dodge it even if he'd known. His ego took another hit when he saw the surprise on her face. Now she knew how bad things had gotten and why he'd wanted to let her go. Memories were often better than reality. 

"Oh Logan, why didn't you let me share the burden?"

When Xavier's seizure first happened, Logan had been out cold for most of the day. He woke to a mansion full of bodies and Xavier completely out of reality. His first instinct had been to find Marie, however, the more phone calls he tried to place for help he began to realize the episode hadn't been entirely local. 

Bundling up Xavier, he'd taken the limo and arranged to meet Banner at an out of the way facility after hours. Banner and Stark ran tests to confirm the initial diagnoses. The Professor was suffering from a progressive mental deterioration. He wouldn't get better and seizures needed to be prevented at all costs. 

Within twelve hours he'd left with a sedated Xavier, two months worth of a carefully dosed medication and one of his alternate identities. He had enough cash on hand to last until he could get to one of his stashes, hopefully, he wouldn't have to use one of those syringes of highly potent sedative on the Professor anytime soon. Thoughts of Marie had been pushed from his mind. If she'd survived, which was doubtful from the reports that had come out, she would be better off without him. 

A week later he knew his healing factor had taken a big hit. Metal toxicity, Hank had once called it. What was left of his healing factor was busy taking care of that while the rest of his body aged. At that point, it was a race to see who would outlive the other. Xavier or Logan. 

Somewhere along the line of trying to stay out of sight, one of his old contacts let him know a woman was searching for him. I could only be one person. He was immediately flooded with relief and then just as quickly made plans to evade her. 

He didn't really want to, but he'd already learned that the Professor needed constant monitoring. They had to be someplace completely isolated from others. There had already been several close calls that required the use of the sedative syringes. He wouldn't willingly risk her life. 

"Marie, I didn't-"

She cut him off, "Don't lie to me, not now. You've known I was alive since St. Louis and that was six months ago." Gently she turned his face, his cheek was still red. Then she noticed the faint lines and traced one partially hidden by his beard. "You thought this would scare me off."

Rogue didn't know what had spared her life when so many others died. It could have been the distance from Westchester, but more than likely it was a healing factor that she'd borrowed once too often from Logan. All those little touches, skin on skin, that they couldn't resist. Overtime it had added up.

After three days, she'd woken up from a coma with a healing factor. It would never be as good as the original, for it was only a copy, but it helped. That and a sense of control over her mutation.

When the reality of the situation finally hit she made a beeline for the mansion. She knew even before she got there it was no use, but she needed to start somewhere. The school had been a hotbed of activity and she couldn't get near it. After a day spent trying to contact some of Logan's Avenger teammates, she'd received a mysterious message, and more importantly, a trail to follow. 

Three months later she'd hit a dead end in St. Louis when Logan went to ground, taking any and all traces of Xavier with him. Over the years Logan had unintentionally shared more about his dealings in the world than he meant to. Little bits and pieces hidden away in his memories about black markets and information dealers; people and places that weren't appropriate or necessary for mansion life. She went to some of his underground contacts and restarted her search from him all over again. 

Finally, after wheeling and dealing and building up a network of her own people, she got wind of a man needing a large supply of a very specific medication. 

Now here she was and he was more or less refusing to touch her. She couldn't have that because she'd missed him too. She'd learned long ago that she could talk to him until she was hoarse, but action was more his style. 

"You thought you could do this without me." She closed what little distance was between them. "But you've been miserable."

Logan tried his best steely stare, it had never worked on her, but he had to try something. He'd used up all his excuses for not letting her back in. Even the thought of her being hurt wasn't enough this time. She was right, he did need her. At one time he'd thought he'd had nothing to offer her, she had said it didn't matter. Now that he truly had nothing left to offer, it still didn't matter

Marie had taken his hands in hers, placing one on her waist. "Tell me you don't love me." It was an old amusement they played.

"You know I don't," he answered on cue, smiling the first genuine smile he'd had in ages. 

She returned the smile, unbuttoning her suit jacket and guiding his hand underneath her camisole top. Skin on skin, he knew the timing. He'd have to be precise; he had no mutation to spare. 

Kissing the corner of his mouth, Rogue ran her fingers through his hair and her other hand up under his shirt. He pulled away and she saw something new in his eyes. An assessment of their touching, he was uneasy. Then her fingers skimmed over the first of the scars on his chest, newly healed over.

It wasn't just the Professor struggling with old age. Logan wasn't playing the part of old man to help them go undetected, his healing factor was failing.

"It's okay." She shepherded his hand back to her breast. "We both have side effects from surviving."

He kissed her, gliding his rough hands over her nipple. This too was new, yet she found herself enjoying the extra sensation, enjoying him again. During their time apart, she'd thought of all the ways to punish him for eluding her, though she knew this would never be one of those ways. She couldn't deny him this. No matter what happened in the past, neither of them held a grudge long enough to avoid sex. 

It was part of who they were as a couple. Binding them tighter than anything else they did.

Logan let her pull him toward the bed without a protest. This probably wasn't the best time or place, but they'd never been the type to patiently wait until bedtime. She kicked off the heels on the way, tugging until he was flat on his back beside her.

She was resting on an elbow over him and he played with a white strand of hair that had worked its way loose from her coiffed hairdo. "Darlin' I'm not the same man." Not that he'd tested his stamina, but under the circumstances, he thought it was only fair to warn her of the possibility.

Rogue slid her hand down over the front of his trousers, pressing her hand onto his hardened flesh. "I don't know about that," she teased. 

Snorting he pulled her down for a kiss. He wanted to explore her mouth slowly, he'd never had the chance before, but neither of them held back. He let her go, both of them breathing heavy. "That's not exactly what I was talking about."

"Oh, well Mr. Howlett," she said with a wink, "If you think you might get tuckered out, just relax and let me do all the work." 

He watched her wistfully as she fluffed a pillow and put it under his head. Never one for softness, always doing things the hard way, he had missed her way of doting on him. It had been the smallest of things she would do to make him comfortable that he remembered the most. 

Sliding her hand up his sides, she pushed the many layers he wore out of the way. For the first time what she saw scared her. Scars, bruises, and cuts half healed, it all added up with the way he moved. He was bearing it well for the pain he must be enduring. 

Rogue peeked at him through her eyelashes to find him studying her, gauging her reaction. The one thing that might put a halt on this plan of action was if he thought she was doing this out of sympathy. The very idea was ridiculous, though she could tell that he might be thinking that. Well, despite whatever else she might be feeling she needed this as badly as he did. They needed to reconnect to be assured their bond was still in place. 

"Like the gray," she said, playing with a swirl of his chest hair. "Always had a thing for older men."

He visibly relaxed and she traced his muscles down to his waistband. After she'd unfastened his pants, he lifted his hips so she could slip his pants lower. Resting her hands on his hips, she bit her lip. There was so much she wanted to do but it would all have to wait. The direct approach was best for now. 

Logan closed his eyes as she straddled him. He thought he never get this chance again. So many decisions made that led him further and further away from Marie. Away from what they'd planned for life.

He'd seen the concern on her face at his slow healing. It wasn't that he wasn't worried too, but there was nothing to be done about it. He saw that realization on her also. Any plans they might have had would never happen, they should move forward from where they were currently.

Something nagged at his senses as she sank down on his shaft. Opening his eyes, he took in the scene. Marie sat astride him, head tilted to one side, a small smile on her lips. He placed his hands on her hips below where her skirt was rucked up around her waist.

"We should be careful," he suggested, finally sorting out her scent. 

Rogue eyed him, doing a quick mental calculation. A year ago this wouldn't have been an issue given the status of her control over her mutation. The world had changed, she had changed, maybe it was time they made different plans. 

Leaning down over him, she gave him a quick kiss. "Trying to play it safe hasn't gotten us anywhere." She moved on him, letting a moan escape her throat. "Maybe we need to stop being so cautious about this."

She left no room for argument as she began moving on him in earnest. Pushing up her camisole, he took a nipple into his mouth causing her to gasp. The adrenal rush of earlier this week reminded him of how much he used to relish fighting. This rush, though, the sounds she made, the feelings and emotions made him realize how much he'd missed her. 

Even with his senses dulled, there was nothing better in life than being with Marie. Not just the sex either, that was a bonus to their life together. She'd been right, he should have let her help in St. Louis, that way it wouldn't have been a such a hardship.

If only he could extend their time together. He had a feeling that it was all coming to an end for reasons beyond their control. He moved his hands to her hips, placing kisses across her chest; at least he could prolong this. 

Rogue dropped her head down to pant in his ear. "Not this time, Sugar." Oh, how she wanted this to go on forever. It was already too quick, not enough skin on skin. But right now this was what they needed to slacken some of the hurt. 

She concentrated on the set of his jaw, the strain of muscles on his neck. His hands had gone from trying to still her movements to grinding her down on to him. There was a rumble building in his chest. A passing thought of the necessity to be quiet flitted around her brain as her vision blurred and she muffled a cry into his shoulder. 

One hand languidly moved her hips as Logan grunted in release, biting a bent finger to keep from roaring. She noticed it took a few moments for his breathing to calm and his heart to quit racing so wildly. It was worrisome, but something she could help him compensate for. He wouldn't have to go it alone and be so vulnerable.

After a few more minutes, she sat up and looked him in the eye. "Whatever happens, we do this together."

Logan sighed inwardly. How he and Xavier made it this far, he didn't know. And now with the girl. Marie was their best bet to come out of this alive. 

"It's not going to be pretty," he warned her. He was positive it would be so far from pretty they would all be stunned. 

"When did any of your fights turn out pretty."


End file.
